Replacement
by disney505218
Summary: A short drabble on the feelings and emotions of Team 7 during the "Sasuke and Sai Arc"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own any of these characters or Naruto in general**

**Forward: Just a little drabble that was going through my mind while watching the substitute "Team 7". No shippings…maybe a little NaraSaku and SasuSaku, I suppose. More of a "Team 7" piece and IMO what Sakura's feelings were on what has happened. They are walking together at the time this takes place.**

She liked Sai, really she did. He had been a little hard to get used to in the beginning, but she was fine with him now. Sakura would even go as far as to say that Sai was her friend. He was a smart fighter and a good person, even if he was a little off. What kind of a person didn't have emotions? But honestly, that wasn't always a bad thing. It was nice to have an unemotional teammate opposed to the emotional-driven Naruto. If she were _really _honest with herself, Sai was a better teammate then Sasuke. But still…

The same went for Yamato. Yamato was a good guy and a good captain. He was a great ninja and his wood making skills really could come in handy. He was predictable and reliable, unlike Kakashi. He never ignored his squad or made them feel inferior. Even if he _did_ make that terrifying face sometimes…at least he didn't act on his threats. He wasn't a pervert, either. Even so…

Sai wasn't Sasuke. Yamato wasn't Kakashi. Nothing was or would ever be, the same way again. As unfair as she was being, Sakura couldn't help but compare them. It wasn't that Kakashi and Sasuke were _better _then Sai and Yamato. It was that Kakashi and Sasuke were like family to her. Sakura had grown from the useless weaking she once was into the strong, confident girl she was today with her team. Well, Tsunade had trained her, but her friends had been there to watch her grow from day one.

This 'Team Kakashi' was as much of a lie as the smile on Sai's face. Only half of Team 7 was still around. If she were really honest, this was the weaker half. Kakashi was their strong and wise leader who always kept his cool. Sasuke was also a strong fighter and a very strategic thinker. Kakashi and Sasuke had had tragedy worse then anything she could imagine and were still less emotional then Naruto and herself.

Now it was only the two of them. It was true that Kakashi wasn't gone but was only sick. Even so, the mission should have included him. When they eventually found Sasuke, Kakashi should be there. Without him, it just wouldn't be right.

Deep down, she knew that Sasuke wouldn't come back. It was a foolish hope. Their reunion wouldn't be joyous, it would be tragic. But she felt oddly excited. She couldn't wait to finally get this all over with. She wouldn't leave this game unfinished. Whatever happened, she would be ready.

Looking back at Sai once more, she sighed. Sai really was no Sasuke. Like Sai had said himself, he was no traitor. But at the same time, he was no great friend, either. Sakura's heart didn't stop when she saw Sai. Sai wouldn't jump in front of her and take the killing blow in order to protect her. She didn't love Sai, not as a lover nor as family.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I will be forced to pinch you, Sakura-San." Sai stated, smiling his fake smile. Sakura blushed and looked down.

"Oh! I'm sorry." Sakura apologized, not having realized that she was staring till now. "Pinch me?" She added.

"Yes. Isn't that what someone is supposed to do when someone else is dreaming?" Sai asked, as though it was an obvious fact and Sakura were being dumb. Sakura sighed deeply.

"Yeah, sure." Sakura muttered, not bothering to explain it to him. When Sai turned back around, Naruto grinned at her.

"I wonder what you were daydreaming about, Sakura?" Naruto smirked. "I hope it's not a _teammate._" Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly in response.

"Why? You weren't hoping it was you, were you?" Sakura replied smugly. Naruto remained silent, causing Sakura's smile to widen. Honestly, this team wasn't that bad. And she would never let Naruto know how right she was. No, she hadn't been thinking about Sai like _that_. But she had been thinking about her teammates, both past and present.

"Hey, you three! Hurry up, we're almost there!" Yamato shouted. Sakura nodded to herself, increasing her speed. No matter what, she would keep moving forward. At the moment, this was her team and she accepted that. Hopefully, the old team would be back soon. But for now, everything was okay. Not great, but not bad. This team was good and that was fine.

**Ending Note: I'm sorry if anyones OOC (especially Sai…I don't know him too well yet). I also am **_**not **_**Sakura so I don't know what's going on through her head but this is my opinion, you don't have to agree. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:****I do not own any of these characters or Naruto in general**

**Forward: I decided to expand on this a bit and get some more characters POV's on this scene. Just so I can get a feel on these characters a bit more. I'm not sure how well I did with Sai, since he's a bit of a difficult character to get into his mind. But I think I captured his dilemma pretty well. Yet again, Shippings are only there if you you want them to be…I hope you enjoy!**

Things were complicated and Sai couldn't understand how this had happened. The mission had been simple. Join Team 7, kill Sasuke, come back and await the next mission. It was even _more _simple then that, because Sai had no emotions that could blur any lines. So how could he have let this happen?

It was this teams fault, this emotional, crazy, mentally unstable…_incredible_ ninjas. Well, not Yamato so much. After all, Yamato was as much of an outsider in this group as Sai himself was. But those other two…they were the problem. They just _never gave up. _It wasn't even that they didn't know _when _to give up, it was that they didn't know _how_. They were operating on pure determination, stubbornness, and hope. Things that Sai didn't…no, _couldn't _have. It made absolutely no sense to him.

It wasn't that Sai didn't know what emotions were, it was more that he understood that having emotions was unacceptable. Sai was a weapon and weapons did _not _have feelings. To become driven by emotion would be the same as becoming weak. Emotions clouded the mind and caused people to make risky decisions that were harmful in the long run. It also gave enemies a weapon more powerful then any other weapon in the world. Shurikens and other weapons could cut you, but those cuts were easily healed. But to be able to cut someone emotionally….those wounds were permanent. Sai only had to look at Team 7 to see that. Sasuke did not lack emotions and that was what made him so powerful. He knew just where to hit Naruto and Sakura so that it would hurt them the most. Emotions were only a weakness, which hurt more then it healed.

But what Sai had never thought of…never even _considered_, was that emotions could be a strength. It gave you a goal, something to motivate and inspire you. It gave you something to live for, that made all the pain and suffering worth it. Sai couldn't care less about his lack in social skills for that was a minor concern. But emotions gave you power, strength, and bonds. Bonds like the connection that Sakura and Naruto (and presumably Sasuke) clearly shared.

The weirdest thing was that all this drama, heartache, and tragedy was effecting him. Oddly enough he was _envious _of the bond that Sakura and Naruto shared. He was curious of what attribute Sasuke possessed that he lacked. Sasuke had been a traitor, a bad person, and an enemy to the leaf village. Sai was nothing but a emotionless weapon. Theoretically, Sakura and Naruto should detest Sasuke and feel nothing towards Sai. But for some unexplainable reason, Sakura and Naruto _adored _Sasuke and disliked him.

Despite that, the two actually wanted to _help _him. Well, alright, _Sakura _wanted to help him. Naruto merely put up with him…and even that was only some of the time. Obviously, Sai's social skills were still lacking according to the amount of times Sakura and Naruto had become angry with him. Well, it wasn't as though they were great with social skills either. But even at times Naruto tried to help him, despite his misgivings. He'd eventually realized that Sai wasn't meaning any harm but was only _really _'weird'. He still didn't accept Sai as a team-mate, but he had stopped being so hostile towards him.

But Sakura had seemed to take it upon herself to try to "fix him". Little remained of the young boy Sai had once been and what emotions had not managed to fade away, Sai did all that was in his power to terminate. Not that much remained, that is. But even the smallest trace of an identity or individual thought was simply unacceptable for a weapon like himself. Sai knew that if he could only get rid of that book he had written for his 'brother' then he would be able to finally leave his past behind him. But to do so would just be _wrong_. It was the one thing that reminded Sai that he was a real person and not some disposable tool. If he were to cast that book away it would be as though he were casting away the memory of his brother and that was not an option.

In all honesty, none of these thoughts had ever even occurred to him before. Maybe he had thought of it as a distant thought perhaps, but nothing more then that. But Sakura and Naruto were special that way. They changed people in ways that they could not even comprehend.

As he turned to look at his comrades he was surprise to notice that Sakura was staring at him. It wasn't a judging stare, it was more of a thoughtful dreamy expression. Sai had no idea what he was supposed to do in this kind of a situation. She seemed to be daydreaming…

"If you keep staring at me like that, I will be forced to pinch you, Sakura-San." Sai stated, smiling. After all, smiling was the best option in any social situation.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized, blushing. Sai knew that blushing was a sign of embarrassment, but what was there to be embarrassed of? "Pinch me?" She added.

"Yes. Isn't that what someone is supposed to do when someone else is dreaming?" Sai asked, wondering why Sakura was giving her a look of confusion. The instruction was very clear, after all. If he were to catch another person dreaming, then he _must_ pinch them.

"Yeah, sure." Sakura sighed, alerting Sai by her tone that she was not meaning what she was saying. Sarcasm, was the word for it.

" I wonder what you were daydreaming about, Sakura?" Naruto smirked. "I hope it's not a _teammate._" Sai turned to Naruto in confusion. What team-mate was he referring to? If it was Sasuke, then that would be very uncharacteristic of him. Besides, whenever Sasuke was brought up the two ninja usually became silent and serious. To make a joke about him wouldn't make any sense at all. If he was referring to himself that would make more sense, but referring to himself as a "certain team-mate" sounded a bit off. However, if he was referring to Sai himself…

"Why? You weren't hoping it was you, were you?" Naruto was quiet at that remark and Sai took that moment to observe how smooth the remarks between them had seemed to flow. It was because of that bond, it connected them in a way. Their conversation didn't even require everything to be said out loud, they were so accustomed to reading the others body language and understanding their implication without even having to speak it. It was like he had been with his 'brother'.

"Hey, you three! Hurry up, we're almost there!" Yamato called from ahead. Sai obeyed the command and quickened his pace. Oddly enough he felt excited. This journey was proving to be more interesting then he'd ever expected. And even if everything he'd ever learned and worked for was slowly deteriorating…it was completely worth it.

**Ending Note: So…yeah. Please tell me if I made any mistakes and what you thought! I hope I got into Sai's head in a believable way!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Naruto or any of the movies or characters. **

**Forward: This isn't really a story, more of a few short POV moments about every Team 7 member, past and present. Yamato, Kakashi, and Sasuke will be coming up soon. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around what the characters are thinking at this moment! I am glad that some people liked it though and please keep reviewing!**

Naruto couldn't _stand_ Sai. Every tiny movement he made seemed to be an intentional act to get on Naruto's nerves. Don't even get him _started _on when Sai actually opened his mouth. At that point, he wasn't even being subtle anymore. With that irritating smile and the way he bad-mouthed Sasuke…it was a wonder that Naruto hadn't strangled the teenager yet. After all, who could blame him if he had? The way Sai acted holier then thou whilst being a rude creep was something that would piss _anyone _off. Naruto deserved a medal for standing in the same space as him, let alone restraining himself from killing the guy.

But yet, Sakura actually…she actually _liked _the guy! Okay, well perhaps like was a bit of an exaggeration. But she accepted him as part of their team and was kind to him. Which was all good and nice, but Naruto couldn't understand how she did it. After all, hadn't Sakura been the one _in love _with Sasuke? Wasn't she the one who had stayed loyal to Team 7 the most? How could she just…give up on them like this?

Alright, Naruto realized he was being a tad bit unfair. His vision was a bit blurred when it came to anything involving his old team, so much so that a lot of his decisions were sequentially much more foolish because of them. Maybe Sai wasn't _that_ bad, but he just wasn't Sasuke. To accept Sai would mean that he would have to accept that Sasuke wasn't coming back. And to do that was something that Naruto would just never do. That would mean he would have to go back on his word and even _give up_. No, Sai was only a temporary companion. Once Sasuke saw reason, Sai would be gone. And to be honest, it couldn't happen soon enough.

As for Yamato, Naruto had no major qualms with him. He was nice enough for the time being. It wouldn't be too hard to let him go, but it wasn't a problem being with him. He was no Kakashi, but he wasn't anything too awful either. That face…._dear God, that face…_well, that was absolutely terrifying. But even despite that, Yamato was a good guy. He wasn't planning on replacing anyone, unlike Sai was. That made Yamato alright in Naruto's book.

It wasn't so much as Sai and Yamato were lesser individuals then Sasuke and Kakashi. But to Naruto, who had never had any sort of a family or any friends growing up, these three meant _everything_ to him. Sakura was the sister (perhaps more) that he'd never had. Sasuke was his brother. Kakashi was his…uncle, he supposed. If anyone would be Naruto's "father" it was Jiraiya. But even despite that, the other three were extremely close to him. To lose Sasuke, was not only losing one member of his "family". It was also tearing apart the bond between the three that were left into tiny pieces. The bond did not feel permanent, as it did before. Now it took a conscious effort to maintain their friendship and everything felt…fragile. Like one mistake and their bond would break. If they could get Sasuke back, perhaps that could all go away.

Looking back at Sai, Naruto's blood boiled. How could that bastard look so…innocent? He had _no_ right to be innocent; he was the source of the problem! Did he seriously believe he could replace Sasuke? That he could just barge in and become a part of Team 7? Well, that was _not_ how things worked! He looked over to see that Sakura was staring at Sai as well, a thoughtful expression on her face. Sai noticed her staring a moment later and turned to her with his nauseating smile.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I will be forced to pinch you, Sakura-san." Sai threatened, still smiling. How could he get away with things like that? Here Sai was, _openly threatening his teammate, _and no one said a thing! Alright, so perhaps pinching someone wasn't _really_ harming them, but still!

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sakura apologized, her beautiful cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "Pinch me?" She added, in confusion.

"Yes. Isn't that what someone is supposed to do when someone else is dreaming?" Sai asked, quizzically. As though he didn't understand what Sakura's problem was. Naruto shook his head, did Sai really believe that phrase was supposed to be taken literally?

"Yeah, sure." Sakura muttered, still blushing. It was then that another thought struck Naruto what _was_ Sakura "dreaming" about? Most likely, it was Sasuke…but perhaps it was him? Or even better…what if it was _Sai_? Now _that_ would be funny!

"I wonder what you were dreaming about, Sakura?" Naruto asked, grinning teasingly. "I hope it's not a _teammate._" Naruto added, looking pointedly at Sai. Sakura sighed; probably annoyed that Naruto was being so immature. Naruto just snickered.

"Why? You weren't hoping it was you, were you?" Sakura teased, to which Naruto had no response. In fact, he _was _hoping she was thinking about him though he would never say that aloud. The way Sakura tossed the comment out as a simple tease made it all the more painful. Did Sakura ever _know _what she was doing to him? How even the smallest things she said meant everything to him?

"Hey, you three! Hurry up, we're almost there!" Yamato shouted, to which Naruto hurried his pace. After all, he couldn't let Sai get in front of him! And the faster he walked, the faster he would find Sasuke, and the faster Sai would be gone for good. For now, Naruto could handle Sai. Perhaps after some more time with the guy, Naruto _might_ even learn to _like_ the guy. But the sooner he was gone the better. And if finding Sasuke meant having to put up with Sai's weirdness…so be it. Naruto would do anything if it meant seeing his old friend once more. He'd just have to be patient and believe that soon enough Team 7 would be back to it's formal glory and everything would be okay again. For now things were _okay_. But with a little more work, everything would get _good_ again. And if Naruto had to wait forever, that was fine by him.

**Ending Note: I have **_**no**_** idea how good this chapter was. I wrote this much quicker then the other two so I'm hoping it didn't suffer too much from that. How odd is it that I find the most emotional character the hardest to write for? Ah well, I hope you liked it! Please review?**


	4. Chapter 4

Yamato still couldn't believe that he was on this mission. The kids behind him might still be under the illusion that this mission was to recover their friend, but Yamato wasn't that naive. They were there to capture a wanted criminal and bring him to justice. The friend that Naruto and Sakura had once known was gone and he wasn't coming back.

Still, Yamato couldn't help but feel bad for the poor kids. Because that's just what they were; children. No one should have to deal with this, let alone two impressionable young teenagers. They were both already emotional enough as it was. It just wasn't fair.

It was still a shock to Yamato that he had been chosen to lead this infamous group. Everyone knew about Team 7, how could they not? The leaf village's traitor and the last remaining Uchiha, a loud prankster who was hiding the nine-tail fox within him, and a talented medical ninja who was trained by Tsunade herself. They had been taken to being called 'Sannin: The Next Generation' by common townspeople. And this was all led, of course, by the well respected and enigmatic Kakashi Hatake. There hadn't been such a team for as long as Yamato could remember.

If he had to be honest, he hadn't been surprised at the news of Sasuke's departure. Everyone had been aware that it might very well happen, but they had still hoped it wouldn't have come to this. However, he hadn't really felt so sympathetic till now. Seeing how broken these two kids were and how strong that they had learned to become broke his heart. They deserved so much better than this mess of a life. No one deserved this.

But what really melted his heart was the situation with Sai. Sai wasn't their teammate and friend and initially they'd treated him as such. But now he had been noticing Sakura softening her heart to him and Naruto opening up a tiny bit. They were letting Sai in, which was a step forward. Yamato didn't yet trust Sai by any means, but he felt a connection with him, being as they were the only new people on the team. And it warmed his heart to see Sakura and Naruto giving both Sai, and himself as well, a chance.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I will be forced to pinch you Sakura-san" Sai commented then. Yamato sighed deeply. Here we go again...

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized, the embarrassment clear in her voice. "Pinch me?"

"Yes. Isn't that what someone is supposed to do when someone else is dreaming?" Sai asked, obliviously. _Only if they ask to be pinched_…Yamato thought faintly before shaking his head at himself, embarrassed at having taken the question seriously.

"Yeah, sure." was Sakura's only response. At least she wasn't starting fights anymore over Sai's cluelessness. In the beginning, both Sakura and Naruto had been offended and infuriated by Sai's rude remarks. Now they had grown immune to it.

"I wonder who you were dreaming about, Sakura?" Naruto teased, almost verging on flirting. Yamato rolled his eyes. "I hope it's not a teammate."

"Why? You weren't hoping it was you, were you?" Yamato smirked at that. The girl had sass and was sharp. Which is what made it so surprising that she was so completely clueless about Naruto's still existing gigantic crush- bordering on obsession- with her. Yamato took a quick glance behind him to see that the three ninja's were all taking their time, lost in their thoughts.

"Hey, you three! Hurry up, we're almost there!" Yamato called, smiling softly at the kids antics. They were a dysfunctional group, but he had to admire them. He heard the footsteps quickening so that he knew they were listening. He couldn't help it, but he was really growing to care about these weirdos. He dreaded the inevitable crushing disappointment they would feel when they finally had to accept that their Sasuke was gone. The prospect of these kids pain was beginning to hurt _him_, as well. The only thing be could do was hope that when the confrontation came, it wouldn't be TOO bad.


	5. Chapter 5

Kakashi hated this. He hated having to sit in the hospital bed, useless, while his team was out there risking their lives. Kakashi may have been many things…lazy, perverted, slow, irresponsible…but not useless. Never useless. It was killing him, having to just sit here with nothing to do but worry about his team. It wasn't that he didn't trust Yamato, it was just that this mission was personal. Yamato was a skilled ninja and a good man, but he didn't know these kids like Kakashi did. He wasn't used to Naruto's brash and impulsive behavior, nor had he experienced Sakura's calm and collected determination masked in an inferiority complex. Kakashi may have seemed not to care, but he hah observed much more than people gave him credit for. His team was like a family to him.

Another thing that worried him was the intentions of that 'Sai' kid. He was a member of Root and Kakashi had an uneasy feeling about allowing him onto the team. He assumed that Yamato knew to keep a close eye on the kid, but he could never be completely sure. It could be nothing to worry about, but Kakashi wasn't confident that Sai wouldn't betray the team. He didn't want Yamato to make the mistake he had and he couldn't bear think of how Naruto and Sakura would act if another one of their team were to betray them.

Kakashi closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. It was his fault what had happened with Sasuke. When a kid turned out rotten, it was almost always in part the parents fault. Kakashi had tried his best to be like a father to the child, but it hadn't been enough. In fact, he had maintained an even closer bond with Sasuke than he had with the other two in order to insure that Sasuke wouldn't feel the need to turn against them. Kakashi understood Sasuke's feelings of pain and loss, being as he also had lost everyone that was dear to him. He had hoped that seeing that someone else had gone through the same kind of trauma he had and turned out okay, Sasuke might be more inclined to try to follow in his footsteps. But he had been sorely mistaken. To Sasuke, Kakashi had only been a tool to increase his own power. It sickened Kakashi that he had been used in such a disposable manner and that he had been so naïve.

He should have seen this coming. Sasuke was a determined child and he had made a vow to avenge his family. Those kinds of promises weren't broken easily. Kakashi had foolishly hoped that his fatherly love, Naruto's brotherly affection, and Sakura's romantic infatuation with him might tie him down to the good guys. He had hoped that love would triumph evil, but that was the hope of a child. Reality had set him straight once more. Not only had Kakashi lost Sasuke, but he had also lost Team 7 as well.

Contrary to popular belief, Kakashi had never favored Sasuke over Sakura or Naruto. The only reason Kakashi had paid special attention to him was to prevent him from killing his brother. To be honest, Kakashi had never really known how to deal with Naruto or Sakura. He saw the potential in both of them, but he wasn't completely sure how to nourish it the way that he should. At first Kakashi hadn't really cared for Naruto and Sakura, they were both too loud and immature to take seriously. But over time he had grown to care about them both. Naruto was strong, determined, and desperate to prove himself. Sakura was intelligent, calm, and constantly seeked the approval of her teammates; including himself. Seeing them hurt left the feeling of a gaping hole in the center of his stomach.

In a purely selfish way, Kakashi was very jealous of Yamato. This mission was as personal to Kakashi as it was to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. He wanted to be together with his team again, even if it meant having to fight Sasuke. Despite all that his logic told him, Kakashi still had a small part of him that hoped to see Sasuke turn good again. He wanted to show Sasuke how broken their team was, how much he had destroyed them and really make him feel the shame of it. He wanted to comfort Sakura and Naruto after the inevitable realization that Sasuke wasn't coming back hit them. Kakashi took a one last sigh and closed his eyes, hoping to go back to sleep. He knew better, though. All he could do was keep hoping until Team 7 returned and just pray for the best but prepare for the worst.


End file.
